A white heron cried "yow yow," circling above the sky. It stretched its long neck, observing the silent bipeds in the valley. Two people stood in the center, gazing at the setting sun. Dozens of people surrounded them, like mountains cradling the sun.
Alisa widened her eyes, watching the heron circle a few times. She leaned on her lover’s shoulder, asking worriedly in a low voice.
"Xiulote... the plague you mentioned, so severe. How should we deal with it?"
Xiulote extended his arm, embracing the delicate girl and gently comforting her for a while. Then, he organized his thoughts and spoke again.
"Plagues vary, affecting different parts of the body and causing different symptoms. For instance, headaches, fever, chills, cough, bleeding, rash... Therefore, we need to identify specific symptoms and adopt targeted measures."
"For common plagues, as long as the body is strong, food is sufficient, and vitality is abundant, it is enough to resist! The human immune system will come into play and resist external invasions. This is the principle that righteousness overcomes evil. Even though you come into contact with the plague and get infected, there will be no severe symptoms. For example, in ordinary epidemics, malnourished elders and women always suffer the worst and fall ill first. In contrast, strong and well-fed young adults often have mild symptoms or fall ill last."
Hearing this, Alisa nodded, indicating her understanding. In the villages around the world, the needs of young adults are always prioritized, as their vitality is the most abundant. Then, she noticed her lover’s wording.
"Xiulote, you mentioned ’common’ plagues, then are there ’dangerous’ plagues too?"
"Yes! Some plagues are extremely toxic and spread very quickly, making them extremely dangerous. Just from what I know, there are a full nine types. Any one of these, if it spreads, can cause tens of thousands of deaths and injuries!"
Xiulote paused and collected his thoughts. Then, he instructed Nashu.
"Nashu, record my words carefully below, they are crucial!"
Nashu bowed gracefully and picked up the pen and paper again.
"In the East, far across the sea, there are nine extremely toxic plagues. According to their danger to the Alliance, the first is typhoid fever, the second is smallpox, the third is the rat plague, the fourth is measles, the fifth is cholera, the sixth is diphtheria, the seventh is mumps, the eighth is malaria, and the ninth is yellow fever!"
"Hmm... Your Highness, how should I write these nine plagues?"
Nashu had written half and looked up with difficulty. These diseases had not yet appeared in America, so naturally, there were no corresponding descriptions.
"Give me the pen and paper, I will write them myself!"
Xiulote extended his hand to take the pen and paper. He tried his best to recall and first wrote down typhoid fever, then drew a small figure. The figure was clutching its belly with diarrhea, and the excrement flowed into the river.
"Typhoid fever, the plague invades the intestines, symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and bleeding. The transmission method is contact with feces and contaminated water sources..."
Next was another small figure, covered with small dots, lying still on the ground. The figure exhaled into the air, and the breath flew into a neighboring small figure.
"Smallpox, the plague invades the whole body, symptoms are rashes all over, pus, and ulcers. The transmission method is respiratory droplets and contact with items used by the infected person..."
Then, the new small figure had the characteristic limb blackening of the rat plague, with rats and fleas around it.
"Rat plague, the plague invades the lungs, symptoms are fever, chills, bleeding, and gangrene. The transmission method is through rats and fleas, spreading the plague everywhere..."
The fourth small figure also had small dots all over.
"Measles, the plague invades the chest and abdomen, symptoms are red flat rashes, the transmission method is breathing. Similar to smallpox but with slightly milder symptoms."
When drawing the fifth small figure, Xiulote paused. He didn’t know much about cholera, but for the next few hundred years, cholera should remain limited to India, not entering America. After thinking for a while, he drew a diarrhea figure and wrote roughly.
"Cholera, the plague invades the intestines, symptoms are watery diarrhea, transmission method is the same, contaminated water sources by patients’ feces..."
Next, the sixth small figure had a swollen neck, and the seventh had a swollen mouth.
"Diphtheria, as the name suggests, the plague invades the neck, causing swelling and white patches, spreading through respiration. Mumps, the plague invades the cheeks, causing swelling, spreading through respiration... These two diseases are the killers of children!"
Xiulote took a deep breath. After pausing for a while, he drew a shivering small figure, with the words "hot" and "cold" marked beside it.
"Malaria, the plague invades the liver directly damaging Ihoter. Symptoms are chills and fever alternating across the body. Spread by mosquito bites."
The last small figure had blood-red eyes and tongue, vomiting blood.
"Yellow fever, the plague invades the lungs. Symptoms are fever, whole-body pain, red tongue, and eyes. Spread by mosquito bites."
Thinking of these two acute diseases, Xiulote sighed deeply and gave serious advice.
"Though malaria and yellow fever are listed last, their harm to the human body is no less than the first seven, perhaps even more severe! But since they rely on mosquito transmission, their spread is limited by geography, occurring in the hot and rainy lowland rainforests, not invading the Mexican Plateau where the Alliance is located."
Xiulote turned around, looking deeply toward the South.
Once Pandora’s box is opened, if African Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes enter America, malaria parasites and yellow fever viruses will permanently take root in the tropical rainforests. All the rainforest inhabitants of America will forever face the test of the plague, which is an unchangeable natural disaster for anyone! The only good news amidst the misfortune is that Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes dislike the tropical highland climate, posing little threat to the heartland of the Alliance.